175 Years of Tradition and Excellence — Take 5 Interview with Edoardo

175 Years of Tradition and Excellence

Count Niccolò Branca, (left), and Edoardo (right)

Edoardo Branca is a sixth-generation family member and is the Managing Director of Branca USA. Prior to taking on this role, Edoardo managed the exports of Fratelli Branca portfolio to many other countries including Japan, Australia, China, Albania, Africa and England. Fratelli Branca and its Milan-based distillery were founded in 1845 by Edoardo’s ancestor, Bernardino Branca, who produced a bitter herbal liqueur using a secret formula that has remained such to this day. As the Managing Director of the company, Edoardo reports to his father, Count Niccolò Branca, who is the main shareholder and Chairman of the Board, and more importantly, the sole keeper of the secret recipe for Fernet-Branca, which is passed down from father to son in the family. 1. Tell us some interesting facts about the 175year history of Fernet-Branca and Antica Formula.

Edoardo Branca: Fernet-Branca was created in 1845 as a medicine during an epidemic of cholera. There is a debate on the origin of the name “Fernet.” It actually depends on who you speak with in the company. The marketing team will tell you that it was a combination of Bernardino Branca, the herbalist, and Mr. Fernet, a Swedish chemist, and together they invented the formula. If you speak with the workers that make the Fernet instead, they will tell you that they invented it, because when you mix the aloe ferox in a big pan, you stir it with a big iron shovel. To see when the aloe ferox was ready, the iron shovel had to be very shiny and clean, and “fer net” in the Milanese dialect is “clean iron.” As it is for today, we do not have yet an answer on which is the true story behind the name.

Fernet-Branca grew in popularity throughout Italy and then Europe, and then the world. It’s been sold in the U.S. since the Civil War, and we even continued to sell during Prohibition as a medicine It really took off in San Francisco in the late 20th century and became the “bartender’s handshake,” a way of industry people greeting each other at their different bars. There are 27 herbs and spices from four different continents in it, so Fernet-Branca really is a sip of the world in a glass. Antica Formula is based off the original recipe for Vermouth from Carpano that Antonio Benedetti Carpano created in 1788. Antonio was an herbalist who combined herbs, spices and Muscatel wine, and created the first commercially sold Vermouth. He invented the category, taking Vermouth from a home remedy to a product sold in bars and shops. His store was located just opposite the Royal Palace in Turin, and so he sent a crate of his new product to King Vitorio Amedeo III. The king loved the Vermouth so much it became the drink of the royal household. Antica Formula is based off that original recipe of Antonio Benedetto Carpano’s. We found notes in his papers when Fratelli Branca merged with Carpano in the late 1990s, so we used our expertise in blending herbs and botanicals to recreate that fantastic original recipe. Thus, Antica Formula was born.

2. You run the Fratelli Branca business in America. Can you tell us about forming Branca USA and why you chose to create the company two years ago?

EB: I believe a lot in the U.S. market, and Fratelli Branca has been operating in the U.S. for such a long time; we had a distillery in Tribeca that was opened after the Prohibition. We chose to create Branca USA two years ago to take a more active role and focus on building the Branca portfolio in the U.S. market. Branca USA also meant that we could bring in great innovations like Carpano Botanic Bitter and Stravecchio Branca Brandy. The U.S. is a fantastic market and we have a huge opportunity to grow within it.

3. Americans seem to be embracing the European culture of enjoying outstanding amari, bitters and Vermouths more and more. Explain the uniqueness of your products to our readers.

EB: American consumers are becoming more and more sophisticated both in their flavor profiles and their cocktails. Consumers are more open to more bitter and less sweet drinks and our portfolio is perfect for that, our amari and our Vermouths. Our products are very special. We have three brands that literally invented their categories. Fernet-Branca created the category of Fernets, Carpano invented the Vermouth category and Caffe Borghetti created espresso liquor. The other really important thing to know is that we make products, not ingredients. All our amari and Vermouths are delicious on their own; they don’t need to be mixed with anything else to be a great drink. That means that we are also fantastic in cocktails because the quality of our brands really shines through.

4. You recently launched a new product, Carpano Botanic Bitter. Can you tell us about it and ways to enjoy it?

EB: We are very excited about Carpano Botanic Bitter. We wanted to create a product that combined our 230 years of passion for quality and blending, with the things that consumers are looking for like premiumization, holistic ingredients and lower sugar. We wanted to give consumers an option to upgrade their cocktails, just as we did with Antica Formula with Vermouth. The result was Carpano Botanic Bitter. With our experience in botanicals and blending, both on the Branca and Carpano sides, we blended together 10 botanicals to create an ultrapremium product with 40 percent less sugar than the average bitter. Carpano Botanic Bitter is fantastic on its own over ice, or with club soda and a slice of orange. We also highly recommend it in a Negroni or Americano, or in a tiki cocktail like a Junglebird.

5. Hanky Panky is a fun cocktail with Fernet-Branca. What’s in it?

EB: The Hanky Panky is a fantastic cocktail created at the turn of the last century in London at the Savoy Hotel. It’s 1 ½ ounces of Gin, 1 ½ ounces of Antica Formula Vermouth and ¼ ounce of Fernet-Branca. One of my favorite things about this cocktail is it was created by a female bartender, Ada Coleman, who was a trailblazer ahead of her time. It’s a variation on a sweet martini — Gin and Sweet Vermouth — and Ada added her secret ingredient, Fernet-Branca, to it. It goes to show you that Fernet-Branca has been the secret weapon of bartenders in cocktails for over a hundred years!

6. Finally, do you know the whole formula for FernetBranca?